It Happens Every Spring
by Brian Bloomfield
Summary: A CloudTifa fic. Cloud leaves Tifa to find Aeris. Can he come to terms with her death and get to Tifa in time to tell her he loves her, or will he be too late to stop her from doing something he will never forget? My first fanfic. Please Read and Review.


  
  
Cloud stood at the edge of the cliff. Two years after meteor, this is where he would spend his last minutes of life.  
He really didn't care. The only thing he cared about was the constant pain in his mind, and any posisible way to make it stop.   
The terrible pain was a constant reminder what a idiot he was. Of how he had been driven from his sanity in one second.   
He had lost Aeris and almost lost Tifa. Hell, he almost killed Tifa trying to save her. She had been in the hospital two weeks because of him.   
Because of his weekness. Because he never really understood what he had until it was almost too late.   
He had left for a journry around the planet a year ago and left Tifa hanging with only a note while he went to look for something.   
Anything at all that would put out this raging fire in his soul.He wondered the planet for months until he realized that what he wanted was in front of him: Tifa.   
He finally realized that Aeris was dead and nothing he did was going to change that. So he went back to Kalm   
where, before he left, him and Tifa lived above her new bar, Final Heaven. For some reason, it was closed. "That's   
funny, she's supposed to be open now. I wonder whats wrong?" He continued to think while he pulled his key   
out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He put his sword down on the rack by the door and went upstairs.   
He found Tifa sitting in her room writing a letter and had a gun on the desk. His eyes wondered from the letter to   
the gun. "She isn't...really... thinking of doing...what I think...she's doing...IS SHE?!?!" He ran forward and   
grabbed the gun as she started to reach for it. She had been totally unaware that she was being watched. And   
then, in one second, her solution had been ripped from her. She turned around expecting to see Cid since he was   
in town, but what she saw instead made her blood run cold. "Hello Cloud." Tifa mumbled facing away from him,   
ashamed that she was caught by the one person she was doing this because of. "What are you doing Tifa?" He  
asked, more than a little suprised that he could still speak. "I loved you cloud. In fact I still do. But you love   
Aeris, and there's nothing I can do to change that. Now give me the gun and walk away." She said as she tried to   
control the inner turmoil caused by Cloud's appearence. "Aeris is dead Tifa. It took me a while to realize that. She   
isn't going to come back. I need you Tifa. I...I love you Tifa." Cloud said to her as he looked into her eyes. Those   
big, beautiful, brown eyes that he could lose himself in. Before this she might have believed him, but now she   
was convinced that this was just a con. "Bullshit!" she screamed at him. She ran up to him and tried to struggle   
the gun from his hold. It was pointed at her chest when it went off. She stumbled back and slumped on the bed.   
"Tifa!" Cloud screamed as he saw Tifa lying there, in a pool of blood, slowly dying. He ran and called an   
ambulance. Unknown by him as he wait for the ambulance, the mako glow had gone out of his eyes as the final   
shreads of his sanity were ripped away from him. He still could not accept that he had just shot Tifa.  
When she woke in the hospital two weeks later, every member of AVALANCHE but Cloud was in her   
room. "What happened...?" she asked in a meek voice. They all started talking at once, about how glad they were   
that she was alright and things of the sort. "Where's Cloud? That little asshole run away again?" They all were   
stuned at her words."No Tifa, he's been here the whole time. He stayed by your side the entire time. He never   
even slept. We had to beg him to eat. He never even talked." Yuffie was relunctant to go on. "I think when he   
shot you he snapped. He left this morning after you started to regain consciousness. We don't know where he   
went." Tifa smiled as Yuffie finished. "Good riddance." Everyone around her did a double-take. Cid was pissed.   
"Tifa, the man came back to tell you he loved you, stopped you from killing yourself, lost his sanity because he   
struggled to keep you alive, and now that he admits to being in love with you, the best you can do is say good   
riddance! #@$&#$%!!" Barret yelled at his friend. "Shut the hell up foo! Give her a break!" Cid shrugged,   
"Just 'cause she's sick don't give her the right to think that Cloud is worthless. Ya know, #@$% this! I'm going to  
look for Cloud. If I was in love with a woman like you, and when I discovered that she was too proud to forgive   
my ass, I would have killed myself a long time ago so I could be with Aeris in the lifestream, she was a hell of a   
better woman than you...oh #@$%...&%$!!!" With that Cid turned and ran out of the room. Red looked out the   
door. Cid was chasing Cloud down the hall. He had heard everything everyone had said. Red said "Cloud had to   
of heard it all. You don't really think that he would do something like that...would he?" Silence followed. Finally   
Vincent spoke. "What if he's right? What should we do?" Everyone looked at Tifa. She was thinking about what   
Cid had said. "Oh god oh god no oh no no NO! What have I done? I drove him over the edge! This isn't what I   
wanted at all! I just wanted it to be over! What if this ends up killing Cloud?"she thought. Tears started flowing   
down her face. "We have to find him. I have to tell him I'm sorry." Barret looked at her. "Uh, Tifa, It might not be   
that easy. He snapped. He has gone bye-bye...ya know...lost it? He's off by himself. But yo' right. We need to   
find him." Tifa spoke up. "Alright then, get out so I can get dressed!" They all stepped out of the room. She   
came out in full battle dress a minute later. They walked out of the hospital and to the cliffs that surrounded the   
town of Kalm (See Author's Note).  
Cloud ran up to his tent shaking and panting because of the long run and because he was trying so   
hard to hold back the tears. "What the hell am I trying for? It's not like anyone cares? Or they don't care since   
you shot them! So what the hell, let the tears flow. I don't care what happens to me, I just wish that I didn't hear   
Tifa say she didn't care. That hurts more than anything. Where did I go wrong!?" Cloud thought. "Someone tell   
me because I'm taking a dive in a minute and I need a fucking answer!" he yelled. He slumped down and let the   
tears overtake him. He didn't even notice Cid walking up behind him. The sight of Cloud crying unnerved him. He   
had never seen the man cry, even when Aeris was killed. "Cloud...take it easy man. I'm sure she didn't mean it."   
Cid said to his friend. Cloud looked at his friend and smiled. "Well Cid, I've finally figured it all out. Everything   
you ever cared about is required to be ripped from your soul before you die...as long as you're a failed experiment,  
cause that's all I really am." Cloud was starting to shake as his words left his mouth. "I wish now I hadn't been   
blind to her love. But now I can see and it's not what I thought it should be. Oh god, I loved her and I failed, like I  
fail at everything. Oh god, I loved her!" Cloud screamed and folded up into a ball and started crying again.   
"Cloud...she felt she was alone in the world. She wanted you to say something, but you never said it." Cid spoke   
as he looked behind him. The rest were in hearing distance. He waved them to stay away a minute. "So Cid,"   
Cloud said to the man. "Are you going to stay for the main event or are you leaving now?" Cloud ask as he   
stood up. He was oblivious to all the others. "Do you really want to do this Cloud? Do you really want to leave   
her alone? She..." Cloud glared and finished the sentence for the pilot. "...seems pretty content to me!" Cloud   
yelled at the pilot. "Don't you dare talk to me about being alone! YOU had a normal childhood! YOU had friends.   
All I ever had was a weird fixation on the girl next door! Every time I tried to get close to her, I got the hell beat   
out of me by her friends or father. Maybe they were right! And now...now I don't even have that! I'm going home.   
I want to see my mom again." Cloud said calmly as he turned toward the cliff. "Shit. I just need thirty more   
seconds..." the pilot thought to himself as Cloud made his way to the cliff. Cid was captain of the Highwind, and   
the Highwind made supply drops to Kalm now and then. He knew that around these cliffs, at a certain time every   
day, gail-force updrafts made flying over Kalm impossible. Cid would bet the Tiny Bronco that the updrafts were   
more than enough to stop a person from jumping, or if they already jumped, more than enough to push the   
person back up. Cid just needed to buy...he checked his watch...15 more seconds. Then if Cloud jumped, the   
currents would catch him before he hit bottom. But if he jumped now, Cid would have to go after him using his   
teather gun. But if he didn't cut loose before the currents caught him and Cloud, his teather would catch them   
coming up and would catapult them into the ground at high speed and they would be killed on impact, but if Cid   
timed this right...it might work. Than again he could always stop Cloud by... "Of coarse, why didn't I think of that   
before!" Cid thought. "Cloud, I hate to be the bitch slap to the face, but if you jump. I AM coming after you."   
Cloud was about a foot away from the edge when Cid said this."Nine seconds..." Cid thought as Cloud looked at   
him. "You won't. You just married Shera." Cid smiled at him. "That may be good and true...but ya know," The pilot  
stepped toward cloud, took a hit off of a cigarette, and smiled. "A man's gotta do what he's gotta do." Cloud   
turned and looked at the pilot. "Well than, good luck." Cloud turned and jumped.   
Tifa looked on in horror. Cid looked at his watch. "Shit! Lady luck, don't fail me now!" He fired his   
teather into the ground and jumped after Cloud. He saw Cloud in a laying down possition. Cid turned so he was   
more streamlined and speed after Cloud. Cloud looked on in utter suprise. He thought the pilot was bluffing.   
That was when the pilot grabbed him and clipped him to his belt with a rope. He grabbed Cloud and felt the   
teather start to tighten. They were on the way back up when he felt the wind. He cut the teather loose right away.   
They slowed for a second then the wind started carrying them. Cid aimed to cross over to the ground as low as   
posisible. He felt his boot clip the edge and then they landed on the ground. Cid cast Sleep on Cloud as soon as   
they landed. The others ran over to him as he stood up. He looked at them. "Remind me next time I do something   
like this to just let the $#@&$ fall. My back hates me like a sumbitch now." He grunted as he streched his back   
out. They all looked at him in wonder. Red was the first on to speak. He was as stunned as the rest of the group.   
"How the hell did you do that? You and Cloud should be dead. You disconected the teather barely after you   
started coming up and then the wind caught you! How?" Cid looked at Red. "The wind is a natural event that   
happens at the same time every day. I have to memorize the winds around Kalm so I know what to expect. That's   
how I did that. Let's get Cloud back to the Highwind. We all can rest up there. Is that OK?" The rest looked at   
Cid in agreement. "And Tifa?" She looked at him. "I'm sorry for what I said." She smiled. "Don't be. I deserved it."   
She turned and started walking. Cid picked up Cloud and they all headed to the ship.  
  
********************  
  
Cloud saw a bright green light of lifestream all around him. He quickly set up and looked around. Green   
as far as the eye could see. He smiled to himself. "Cid must have dropped me." Suddenly, there was a bright   
green ball in front of him. It took the form of a person. Then the green went away and Rufus Shinra stood before   
him. "Actully your asleep." Rufus said to him. Cloud, by reflex, reached for his weapon, only to find it was gone.   
He glared at Rufus. "What the hell am I doing here, and why are you here?" Cloud barked at Rufus. Rufus looked   
at him for a second, than smiled and looked up. "I told you he would be angry." He listened at something for a   
second, then said "Alright...I'll try." He looked back to find a confused look on Cloud's face. "You do remember   
Aeris don't you?" Cloud paled at the mention of her name. "What the hell do you want with her?!?!" Cloud   
screamed at Rufus. "My my, so impatient. I was going to tell you, but now...I don't think so." Rufus turned and   
walked away. "...wait..." Cloud said to Rufus. He glanced back at Cloud. "I don't think I want to tell now...but she   
did ask me and so...i'll do it for her." He walked up to Cloud. "Are you sure you want to hear this? It may very   
well change your whold outlook on life...from a sucide-wishing glob of emotional turmoil into a man ready to   
tackle life again." Cloud looked for a second and slowly shook his head yes. "Very well. Let us begin." Rufus   
smiled and then everything went black.  
  
********************  
  
"I just don't fuckin' understand this, the spell should be gone by now. Why ain't he up?" Cid grumbled   
to while everyone listened. "He should have ben the first one of us awake, but he is out like a goddamn light!"   
Everyone watched as he went and checked in Cloud's cabin once more. "This is really startin' to piss me off!"   
Yuffie looked at him sharply. "Starting? We really couldn't tell!" Tifa, seeking to stop the oncoming arguement,   
asked Cid a question. "Cid, is it posisible that the jump could have caused this?" Cid looked up at her shocked.   
"Your right! There had to have been a major pressure change when we jumped and the air carried us up!" Cid   
was leaving to check it out when Red asked a question. "So why aren't you suffering form the change too?" Cid   
answered over his shoulder without losing pace. "I'm use to the change." They watched as Cid went to get the   
equitment he needed for a test.  
  
********************  
  
"Cloud, let me start by asking you a question. Be honest, I already know the answer. Now...when was   
the last time you really felt alive?" Cloud responded right away, "When we were fighting Sephiroth." Rufus   
looked at him. "Very Good. Now, do you know why you felt alive then?" Once again, Cloud answered almost   
immediately. "I had a useful purpose. The planet needed me." Rufus responded. "Right again. Now tell me, why   
did you not move on afterwards?" Cloud looked down. "I...I was...I wanted to find her. I wanted to be with her. I   
loved her." Rufus thought a minute. He then continued. "So...what made you give up?" Again, Cloud looked   
down. "I realized that she was never gonna come back and I had always had my true love in front of me. I just   
never realized it. Rufus then asked the most important question, for he did not know the answer. "Cloud...what   
happened that made you want to kill yourself?" Tears started to form in Clouds eyes. He didn't want to answer   
the questions, but he felt compeled. "I came back to Kalm to ask Teef to marry me. I had the ring and everything.   
When I got there...she was writing a sucide note and she had a gun on the table next to her note. I grabbed the   
gun before she could pick it up. She jumped at me and struggled for the gun. It went off. She was shot in her right   
lung." At this point, Cloud started crying hard. "She spent two weeks in the hospital in a coma. I stayed by her   
side the entire time, not sleeping or eating. When she started to gain consciousness, I left to clear my head.   
When I came back, she had regained full consciousness. I heard them talking so I waited outside. When Yuffie   
told her what I did...the only thing she said was good riddance. That's when I snapped. I couldn't absorb what   
she had said, so I ran. And I would have jumped and went byebye if Cid hadn't did what he did." Cloud chuckled   
a little through the tears. "He has a set of balls that puts a chocobo to shame. And by god, he had them screwed   
on tighter than fuck." Rufus couldn't believe what he had been told. "Cloud, I have a few more questions...OK?"   
Cloud shook his head yes. "OK, Do you still love Tifa?" Cloud said yes right away. "Good...Good." Rufus   
sighed. "I have one last question. What happened to your eyes?" Cloud looked at them in surprise. "What?   
What's wrong with them?" Rufus looked at him. "Cloud...they stopped glowing." Cloud looked at Rufus in   
shock. "...oh" was all he said.  
  
********************  
  
"OK, coming through!" Cid yelled as he wheeled a big cart through the Meeting room doorway. "Cid."   
Vincent said as Cid went by him. "Whadaya want?" Cid grumbled. "Has it ever occured to anyone besides me   
that Cloud has been awake for Two weeks?" Cid stopped in his tracks and looked at Vincent. He turned red and   
started yelling. "%%@#%@#$%^%^$@%#$%!%!$%!#$JONNYCOCHRAN^#^@#$%!%!$@#!%#!%!@$#$!@#  
$!@#$!@#$!NIRVANA@$#@$!$!$@#$!$#@$!@$#@$!@$@#O.P.P.$%!$!@!$$#$$!$!$#$@$%%~%!%~%@%$  
#@%#@%%!%%#$$#RODNEYKING$!@#$#$!@#%$#$%@#@@#$POLVAULT@#@$#@!#$@#$@!#$@!#$@  
#$@#!$@#$@#$#$!$#@!NOSEDIVE!!!"   
  
********************  
  
"Rufus, can I ask you a question?" said Cloud. "Sure, I don't see why not." Rufus replyed. "Was it   
Aeris that sent you?" Rufus looked at Cloud a few moments then responded. "Yes. And now it's time for you to   
return. Oh and one more thing." Rufus smiled. "This is from Aeris and the rest of the lifestream." He threw a ball   
of light at Cloud. "See you in a couple decades." Then he was gone and Cloud passed out.  
  
********************  
  
Tifa was sitting by Cloud's bed for hours now and nothing had changed. She wanted him to wake up so   
she could say she was sorry. She had acted like a real bitch, and he had almost killed himself because of it. He   
saved her from making a big mistake and she treated him like dirt. She layed a hand on his chest. "When he wakes   
up, I'm going to say I'm sorry and-what's this?" She had ran her hand over his shirt and came to a bump in his   
pocket. She started to reachin to pull it out when he moved. "Cloud? Cloud, can you hear me?" He groaned and   
opened his eyes. They glowed with mako energy more powerful than before. "Tifa?" he mumbled. Tears started   
welling up in her eyes. "Yes. It's me." His eyes focused now. "Tifa...what's wrong? Don't cry. Please don't cry."   
She spoke carefully as to not choke on the words. "Please forgive me Cloud. I know that you hate me now, but   
please understand, I was lonely. I thought you had left and went to live in the Forgotten Capital. I-" Cloud sat   
up and looked shocked. "Of course she would think that. She didn't know yet." he thought. "I have to tell her.   
Now or never." He took a deep breath. "Tifa, I left the Forgotten Capital, with the realization that I could never   
bring her back, 10 months ago." He spoke with a soft shudder to his voice. Tifa looked at him in shock.   
"Wh...Where have you been?" She question with tears rolling down her face. He wiped her tears away with one   
hand and with the other took the ring out of his pocket. "Having this made." he whispered to her. She stared at   
his had for a few seconds and then, with a soft voice asked what she was dying to know. "Cloud...what is that?"   
He took his other hand away from her face to open the box. Inside was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.   
It was platinum with streaks of gold and silver running through it. On the top, a circle was made by two silver   
dolphins. In the middle was a mastered Cure materia. She looked up to him. "This is why you were gone so long?"  
He shook his head yes. Tifa felt like she was on a cloud of elation and could never come back down. "Cloud,"   
She said to him. "What?" He didn't look up, but she could tell he was crying. "Can I still marry you?" His head   
shot up. "Are you serious?" he asked her with a deadpanned look on his face. "Yes I-" That was all she could   
get out. Cloud had leaned over and embraced Tifa in a passionate kiss. She returned it fully. For the first time in   
almost a year, they were happy. Tifa was crying in joy. She then locked Cloud in another earth-shattering kiss.   
They stayed like this until Tifa fell asleep in her loves arms.  
  
********************  
  
The team had divided schedules for looking after Cloud until he was awake. Yuffie's shift was after   
Tifa's, so she decided to tag Tifa out early. She opened the door to Cloud's cabin and found Cloud awake laying   
next to a sleeping Tifa. Cloud looked up just as she was going to yell "Hey Cloud! How ya been!" But a finger on   
his lips silenced the ninja. The other hand stroked Tifa's hair. Yuffie walked over to him and his live. She saw the   
ring on her finger and whispered to Cloud. "Did you give that to her!" She whispered to him. "Oh yes," He said.   
"And I feel that she will be wearing it a long, long time."  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors Note: I know that this was a horrible rendition of the Final Fantasy 7 crew but give me credit, this is my   
first try. Another thing, The "cliffs of Kalm" part does not match the storyline in the game at all. But think about   
it. I added the cliffs as a aftermath of the ending of FF7. Peace, Brian B. 


End file.
